Why Prince Harry Kept His Visit to Uncle's Funeral Secret

Prince Harry at The Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service on May 8, 2024.

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

At the end of August, Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at the funeral service for his uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes. It had previously been reported that Harry would regrettably miss the event due to his ongoing security concerns within the United Kingdom. As a result, family members and friends were delighted the Duke of Sussex was able to make the trip from Montecito, California. Now, a source has suggested that Harry kept his visit to the U.K. a secret on purpose.

During an episode of Hello! magazine's "A Right Royal Podcast," royal editor Emily Nash discussed the reasons Harry didn't reveal his trip in advance. "This was kept so secret that many people close to the family were totally unaware, and a lot of people attending the funeral were really taken by surprise," Nash explained.

Prince Harry's alleged reasoning for remaining secretive about his attendance actually makes a lot of sense. Ultimately, the Duke of Sussex reportedly didn't want to "distract from the funeral itself," and staying out of the spotlight was his "key motivation" on this occasion.

Nash continued, "He didn't want this to be the focus of, obviously, a very sad day for his family."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — "He didn't want this to be the focus of, obviously, a very sad day for his family."

Attendees at Lord Fellowes' funeral were reportedly surprised to see both Prince Harry and Prince William at the memorial, which took place at St. Mary’s Church in Snettisham, Norfolk, close to Sandringham.

Discussing the funeral, one attendee told People, "Most people were astounded that Harry came." They continued, "He was on remarkably good form—and you could tell he was very pleased to see everybody. And he was very pleased that he had come over."

Rather than staying with the Royal Family, the Duke of Sussex reportedly spent time at his late mother Princess Diana's ancestral home, Althorp House. Since then, it's been reported that Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have been invited to spend Christmas at Althorp by Diana's brother, Charles Spencer. It's currently unknown whether Harry and Meghan will spend the holidays in the U.K., but it's heartwarming to know they remain close to Princess Diana's relatives.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.